Socket

Details Socket Socket

2001-03-08

2002-10-15

Cuneo, Kamand (Department: 2827)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S756000, C361S802000, C439S681000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06466452

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a socket for installing a daughter board on which electronic parts are mounted, such as a memory module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the field of personal computers and the like, when a daughter board on which electronic parts are mounted, such as a memory module, is connected to a mother board, the connection is usually made through a socket which is fixedly mounted on the mother board by soldering or the like. As such a type of socket, in order to make the installation of the daughter board easy, a zero insertion force (ZIF) type socket has been often used.
In the use of the ZIF type socket, a daughter board is inserted in a slantwise direction relative to the socket, and after the insertion, the daughter board is moved to the position parallel to the socket, thereby engaging both ends of the daughter board with latches disposed at both sides of the socket to fix the position.
FIGS. 9 and 10
show an example of a conventional socket. This socket
1
has the substantially same structure as the one disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-55651 (55651/1996), wherein contacts
2
a
exposed from the lower face of a housing
2
are attached to a mother board, not shown in the drawing, by soldering. Further, arms
3
are oppositely disposed at both ends of the housing
2
, and latches
4
are attached and fixedly mounted on the opposed faces of the arms
3
.
When a terminal portion
5
a
formed on an edge
5
c
of a daughter board
5
is inserted in a slantwise direction relative to a socket
2
b
of the housing
2
, notches
5
b
formed at both ends of the daughter board
5
are kept at the position at which they will be in alignment with hook members
4
a
formed on the latches
4
.
When the daughter board
5
is pressed downward in the drawing around the edge
5
c
on which the terminal portions
5
a
are formed, the hook members
4
a
abut on the notches
5
b
and are thereby pressed outwardly and the daughter board
5
enters beneath the hook members
4
a,
and as shown in
FIG. 10
, the upper and lower faces of the daughter board
5
are sandwiched between the hook members
4
a
and tongue members
3
a
curvedly formed on the arms
3
, and the lower faces of the hook members
4
a
of the latches
4
are engaged with the upper edge portions of the notches
5
b,
thereby securing the position of the daughter board.
At the position shifted from the center of the edge
5
c
of the daughter board
5
toward either one side edge, a notch
5
d
is formed. In a slot
2
b
of the socket
1
, a projection
2
c
for positioning is provided corresponding to the notch
5
d.
As a result, when the edge
5
c
of the daughter board
5
is inserted into the slot
2
b
of the socket
1
, if the upper and lower faces of the daughter board are upside down, the projection
2
c
for positioning abuts on the edge
5
c
so that unwanted insertion can not be made. Further, if the daughter board is inserted appropriately, the notch
5
d
of the edge
5
c
fits in the projection
2
c
for positioning, whereby the contacts
2
a
of the socket
2
are in alignment with the terminal portions
5
d
of the daughter board
5
.
However, in the conventional socket
1
, due to the dimensional error unavoidable in the production, looseness is caused to some extent between the projection
2
c
for positioning formed on the slot
2
b
and the notch
5
d
formed on the edge
5
c
of the daughter board
5
. Accordingly, when the alignment of the terminal is made to have an extremely narrow pitch width, there is a possibility that the position of the contacts
2
a
of the socket
1
may be out of alignment with the position of the terminal portions
5
d
of the daughter board
5
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a socket wherein even if the alignment of the terminal portions of the daughter board is made to have a further narrow pitch width, the position of the contacts
2
a
of the socket
1
is kept to be in alignment with the position of the terminal portions of the daughter board.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the first aspect of the present invention provides a socket for installing a daughter board having electrical parts mounted thereon and terminal portions aligned with a predetermined pitch on one edge, which comprises:
a housing comprising a slot for receiving the edge of the daughter board on which the terminal portions are aligned, and contacts which are provided on an inner side of the slot and are to be contacted to the terminal portions with pressure, and
a pair of latches which extend from both sides of the housing toward an opening direction of the slot and engage with both sides of the daughter board when the edge of the daughter board is inserted into the slot and moved down against the urging force of the contacts,
wherein in the edge of the daughter board, a notch is formed at a position shifted from the center of the edge toward either side edge,
in the slot of the housing, a projection for positioning is formed at a position corresponding to the notch which is to be inserted into the notch, and
on at least one side of the projection for positioning, an elastic member which is to be pressed against an inner side wall of the notch in the edge of the daughter board is provided.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an edge of a daughter board on which a terminal portions are disposed is inserted into a slot of a socket, a projection for positioning disposed in the slot is fitted in a notch formed at the edge of the daughter board, and since an elastic member is disposed on at least one side of the projection for positioning, the projection for positioning can be inserted into the notch in such a state that the elastic member abuts on at least one inner side wall of the notch of the daughter board with pressure.
As a result, when elastic members are disposed at both sides of the projection for positioning, the daughter board is relatively moved to such a position that both elastic members are well balanced during the step of inserting the daughter board into the slot of the socket, thereby keeping the alignment of the terminals of the daughter board and the contacts of the socket. Further, when the elastic member is disposed at one side of the projection for positioning, during the step for inserting the daughter board into the slot of the socket, the side face of the projection for positioning on which no elastic member is disposed is pressed against the corresponding inner side face of the notch of the daughter board, thereby keeping the alignment of the terminals of the daughter board and the contacts of the socket.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the second aspect of the present invention provides a socket for installing a daughter board having electrical parts mounted thereon and terminal portions aligned with a predetermined pitch on one edge, which comprises:
a housing comprising a slot for receiving the edge of the daughter board on which the terminal portions are aligned, and contacts which are provided on an inner side of the slot and are to be contacted to the terminal portions with pressure, and
a pair of latches which extend from both sides of the housing toward an opening direction of the slot and engage with both sides of the daughter board when the edge of the daughter board is inserted into the slot and moved down against the urging force of the contacts,
wherein in the edge of the daughter board, a notch is formed at a position shifted from the center of the edge toward either side edge,
in the slot of the housing, a projection for positioning is formed at a position corresponding to the notch which is to be inserted into the notch, and
an elastic member is provided at either side edge of the housing, the elastic member being used to press the either side edge of the daughter board to contact the notch against the projection for positioning with pressure.
According to the second aspect of the present in

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